Course Title: ART 170.01 Painting I
Term: Fall and Spring
COURSE DESCRIPTION (Catalog):
Major, Elective credit. Prerequisite: ART111.02, ART 113.01. This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of painting. Instruction will include painting techniques, color mixing, color theory, painting style, and the use of painting tools. Students will be encouraged to explore the painting process as a means for personal creative expression. Students will work primarily from observation, exploring the language of paint through a variety of projects. Art majors should have 2D design and Drawing I before taking this class.
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
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Introduce paint as a medium, demonstrate a working knowledge of the tools for oil painting
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Gain basic skills in various observational painting techniques and applications, color theory, and design elements and principles.
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Technical skill in the construction and preparation of a canvas and at least one other painting surface.
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Demonstrate an awareness of concepts and techniques derived from the study of historical and contemporary painting.
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Evaluate art critically, both orally and written utilizing a visual vocabulary.
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Understand safety methods that are used in painting.
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Develop a basic understanding of documentation of artwork and its purpose for fine artists.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
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Students will produce a series of paintings that utilize a varied range of painting techniques, color theory, and successful use of design element and principles beyond the introductory level.
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Students will produce paintings from observation with accurate proportions, value and understanding of color theory and composition.
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Students will provide articulate presentation of their artistic goals during critics and in written statements.
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Students will build a minimum of two canvases.
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Students will participate in class critiques and in written exhibition reviews using terminology appropriate to the course.
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Students will work responsibly in the classroom using appropriate safety methods.
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Students will produce a set of digital images of paintings created during the term.
Final Digital Portfolio: All art and design students are required to establish a Digital Portfolio in which all artwork created during your time at Converse is documented on a USB drive and turned in at the end of the semester. Documentation techniques will be covered in the class and students expected to document all paintings created in the course. If you do not have a USB drive I will provide you with one.
Exercise #1: Black and White Gradient.
Students learn to mix values using their palette knife. They learn to keep color/ value clean and keep their palette organized. Students will mix seven values and apply the paint using a palette knife only, to create a grey scale. This project helps to prepare them for their first assignment in class and helps break the ice for those that are nervous about painting.
Project #1: Black and White Painting from a Projection. General to Specific.
In this lesson students learn how to build an oil painting from back to front, general to specific. They learn the difference between solvents and mediums and they learn about the rule of “fat over lean”.
The professor begins by projecting a blurry upside-down image. Students paint using only their solvent and Payne’s grey. The image changes every 30 mins, the students switch to medium and pure oil paint as they progress, and with each switch the image gradually becomes clearer. The last image is flipped right side up and the students recognize what it is and are always surprised by how well their painting turned out, through a process of just focusing on shapes of value. They all agree that if I had just put the last image up first, they would have been overwhelmed by the details and tried to “paint what they know, instead of what they see”.
Exercise #2: Homework 1, Three cups.
This is homework. This assignment is designed to help students distinguish shapes of value, and continue their practice with keeping value/ color clean and their palette organized. It also addresses different tight contrast schemes, so when students begin their in class still-life they are prepared to look for the nuances in value.
Create three small paintings of a white Styrofoam cup using only your palette knife. Place each cup on a plain white surface, and arrange with a strong light source from one side.
Painting #1: use only high-key contrast
Painting #2: use only the middle range of value
Painting #3 use only low-key contrast
In each painting establish the lightest light and darkest dark then try to get as much range of value in between.
Project #2: Black and White Still Life.
Students work from a still life in class that was designed by the professor. The still life is primarily white on white objects, which encourages them to search for value differentiation. They are only allowed to use Payne’s grey and white-effectively creating a “Grisalle” or “grey scale” underpainting. During this assignment, the professor continues to stress, palette organizations and mixing with the palette knife, although they are now allowed to use brushes. The professor also discusses scumbling, glazing, and impasto.
Exercise #3: Homework, Warm to Cool Gradient.
The students have already worked with value, now we are going to introduce temperature as a stepping stone to color. Working with compliments of Payne’s grey and raw sienna they complete the following exercises.
Part I:
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Begin in the top row with two complimentary colors on either end (straight out of the tube).
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Mix them in equal parts to the center. You should end up with a neutral color in the middle.
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Repeat this process in each row-but make each row a little lighter.
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When we take a black and white picture, you should have an even gradient like in the image to
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the right.
Tip: These colors might need some adjustments as you go. Color has value-and warm colors are lighter than cool colors. You might have to darken or lighten some colors to get and even strip.
Tip: If we took a black and white picture of your finished grid, each row should be a solid value, and each row should gradually become darker.
Part II:
Reference your gradient of warm to cool color to create a painting of a Styrofoam cup (or a small zoomed in section of the current still life) where raw sienna is your light/ warm and Payne’s grey is your dark/ cool.
Be sure to use a strong light source so that you have raking transitional light moving across your still life item and you are able to identify the mid tone value/ temperatures.
Must include a background and cast shadow. No white canvas should be showing.
Exercise #4: Color Wheel.
In preparation for color we review the basics and do some simple exercise that cover primary, secondary, tertiary color, complimentary color, and saturation. They continue to practice keeping their color clean and palette organized.
Part I:
1. Begin with a triangle, on each point of the triangle paint a swatch of your fully Saturated primary colors.
2. Draw a triangle in the opposite direction and paint a swatch of the secondary colors.
3. In between each secondary and primary color add a swatch of a tertiary color.
Part II:
Mix three 6 value charts sing the following compliments. Red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple.
Part III:
Mix a 12 value chart sing blue, black and white. Start by mixing six values with black on one end and blue on the other, then mix six values with white on one end and blue on the other.
Repeat this using a warm color of your choice.
Project # 3: Color Still Life
Now we introduce a full palette which includes a warm and cool version of each color. The students will work from a colorful still life that the professor designs. Students are instructed not to use black and to push color while maintaining accurate value.
Project #4: Arbitrary Color Self-Portrait
Now students have explored local color relationships. From here we explore arbitrary color and an organic subject matter. Students are instructed to come up with an arbitrary color scheme for a self-portrait.
Requirements:
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Minimum Size: No smaller than 28 inches on any one side can be 28”x29” but NOT 28”x27”.
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Color: Arbitrary Color (not from life). Choose any color and value scheme but you must be able to name it and bring in a reference sheet or color wheel of some sort.
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Example: Complimentary, Split Complimentary, Analogous, Monochromatic, High Key, Low Key etc…
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Choose an image of yourself.
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Must be a portrait style image (shoulders up).
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Must be lit from one side with a strong sense of “Chiaroscuro” (sit by a window or set up a light next to you)
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Must print out an 8”x10” black and white version of it to reference.
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Make sure that the orientation of your image matches the orientation of the canvas. Vertical, horizontal, square etc…
Process:
1. Email the picture to yourself or bring it with you to class on a flash drive. I will have a projector for you to use.
2. You will then project the image on to your canvas and trace it. Trace as many details as possible including the shadows and highlights.
3. Using your black and white image, create a monochromatic (grisalle) under painting.
4. Apply arbitrary color to your value structure. Establish warms and cools, lightest lights and darkest darks.
Pro Tips:
Make it fun for yourself! Avoid the “glamour shot” portrait. Include a hand, sunglasses, headband, hat, jewelry or towel; make a funny face, look away from the camera.
Project #5: Portrait as Still-Life or Indirect Self Portrait
Students are shown many examples of contemporary still-life painters, then encouraged to create a portrait using meaningful objects. This is their first time introducing concept and they have full autonomy over their aesthetic decisions.
This assignment should be on a canvas that you stretched yourself and is larger than 18”x 24”. It should include at least 6 objects, two of which should be “organic” (not geometric). Bring in a box (or set up an area in the room) and a light source.
An indirect self -‐portrait is a self -‐portrait without directly showing yourself. It can be a collection of objects that have meaning to you and may perhaps have some part of your image hidden amongst them. Some artists will sneak in a hand or foot, a photograph of themselves or their reflection in a mirror that is nestled among the objects.
Keep in mind that this should NOT be purely conceptual. You must design a cohesive still-‐life. So formal elements, composition, texture, color, inorganic, organic, pattern, shape etc... need to be thoroughly considered to make a visually stimulating painting. Don’t just plop a bunch of random objects down in the middle of the floor. Consider, background and foreground. Every object and every formal decision should have a purpose.
Part II:
Final Presentation:
You will also need to provide a written statement that outlines the following.
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What did you make? (at least three sentences)
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Why you chose these objects? (at least three sentences)
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How you chose to depict this still life? (the formal analysis that usually supports your idea) (at least three sentences.
